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Rays' Lee caps big Desert Dogs comeback

Rays' Lee caps big Desert Dogs comeback

2012 MLB.com's Top Prospects: Hak-Ju Lee has played in the Futures Game twice and has excellent range at shortstop

By John Parker
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MLB.com |

In most games, teams have 27 outs to work with. On Monday afternoon, the Desert Dogs had one to spare.

Hak-Ju Lee's RBI groundout with one out in the ninth inning capped a five-run rally that pushed Phoenix past host Surprise, 6-5, in the Arizona Fall League.

The Desert Dogs cobbled together the five runs on four hits, a hit batsman and a fielding error for their third straight win.

Surprise captured an early lead when first baseman Chris McGuiness (Rangers) drove in Cardinals farmhand Kolten Wong with a two-out single in the first. Two innings later McGuiness was at it again, plating Wong and Bryce Brentz (Red Sox) with a two-out line drive to center field, giving the Saguaros a 3-1 lead.

Brentz made it 5-1 with a two-run blast off Phoenix reliever Kyle Heckathorn (Brewers) in the fifth. It was the second longball of the AFL campaign for the Surprise right fielder, who scored twice and lifted his batting average to .320 with a 2-for-4 afternoon.

Wong scored the Saguaros' other three runs, going 2-for-5 with a pair of stolen bases.

Surprise cruised into the ninth. Red Sox right-hander Pete Ruiz took over, looking for his second save in as many outings. Things began to go awry when Phoenix leadoff man Hunter Morris, the Southern League MVP for Milwaukee's Double-A Huntsville affiliate, sent a 2-2 fastball over the center-field wall.

Fellow Brewers prospect Khris Davis followed with a single to center before Christian Yelich (Marlins) was hit by a pitch and Tim Beckham (Rays) singled to load the bases. After third baseman Edward Salcedo (Braves) popped out, backstop Max Stassi (A's) delivered a two-run single to make it 5-4.

The tying run came across when Josh Prince (Brewers) reached on a fielding error by Saguaros shortstop Hanser Alberto (Rangers), and the go-ahead tally followed on Lee's groundout to third. Lee, who has hits in 13 of his 15 AFL games, went 2-for-5 on Monday.

Ruiz (0-1) suffered the loss for Surprise, allowing five runs -- four earned -- on four hits while recording one out.